Gone With the Shadows
by Sahara1256
Summary: Karl Shubaltz goes on an escort mission thinking it was no big deal,until he was ambushed by three thieves.He calls on Thomas,Van and Irvine to come help him with the three not so amateur pilots. But with Irvine undercover will they achieve an arrest?
1. Prologue

**Gone with the Shadows**

Prologue

Under the dark coverage, and cool temperature of the desert, the custom red and black Zaber Fang SS strolled menacingly beside two cargo transport Gustav. It walked between the two Gustav, equidistant from both of them. It made it a perfect position to be in from any side attack, a frontal, or rear assault.

The merchants piloting their Gustav felt much safer with Colonel Karl L. Shubaltz escorting them through this thieve riddled territory. Karl remained alert as they plodded forward, but wondered what kind of thief would attack armed caravans? These two brought to the Guylos military's attention that there was a triad of thieves attacking and stealing goods from traveling merchants on the way to this remote little trade post past the mountain trail. Karl offered to escort them, with nothing better to do in his office but sit there and read over files and records now that the war was done with.

He wondered if this trio of thieves would be too much for him alone, or were they just amateurs picking on civilians. Would they even dare to strike after recognizing his Zoid?

He was unaware that his questions were about to be answered.

His Zaber Fang was locked in on in her scope, the vibrant imperial mark stood out on the left front leg of the Zoid. The female pilot gave a small giggle of excitement. She set up communication to her comrades.

"Well, well girls we have a royal pain to handle tonight." She stated smugly.

"Who is it?" One other femme fatale asked.

"It's a red and black custom Zaber Fang SS…I think that's the colonel." The first voice, the ring leader answered.

"I'll run a data test for you." A third voice chimed in. A few seconds later a data bank appeared on their combat screens with a picture of Karl Shubaltz, and the information on his Zoid.

"Thanks." The leader responded after reading through it. "Let's show Colonel Shubaltz our royal welcome." She said with a hint of excitement in her voice. The other two hollered in unison. After sitting there for so long scoping out potential targets, they were eager to battle.

"I'll show him who's Zaber Fang is better." The second girl to speak up stated.

"Save me the finishing blow," The leader ordered. "I have a message I'd like to send to him."

**Sahara: DO NOT WORRY I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT Scouring the Stars! Just the opposite actually, I am on a bad writers block with that...I know what I want to write but its not forming well in words. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this one. I kinda made it complicated and weird with the character combinations this time around but I'm hoping to get pretty far with this. Shadow fox is my favorite Zoid and it wasn't appreciated much in the TV shows so I'm writing this! Product of writers block gone backwards.**


	2. Very Superstitious

Chapter One:

Very Superstitious

_Irvine was piloting the Saix in an empty desert at night. He watched clouds begin to conceal both of the full moons. He broke off the steady stride the Lightning Saix held. He pushed the controls forward to get up to speed, and then hit the boosters. The desert dunes suddenly disappeared and a tree line began. He brought the Saix to a skidding stop and raising clouds of sand. Irvine and the Saix stood at the tree line, side facing the creepy woods and the other the vast, unending desert. _

_Movement caught his eye in the trees. Glowing red eyes darted in and out of the trees and sand. He pursued it on the outskirts of the tree line. Once he caught up to the unknown Zoid, that slightly resembled a command wolf, he tried to take it to the ground with a claw strike. He tumbled right into the ground; though he knew he landed it was solid right in front of him! Saix shook off the blunder; no matter it evaded him once he won't let it get away this time. He remained in pursuit._

"_C'mere you stupid Zoid!" Irvine shouted pushing Saix to its limits. It would reach the Zoid and suddenly it would disappear into shadows. Black mist dissipated in his Zoid's claws. He looked back and forth from the dunes to the forest; no sign. _

_A strange, canine like yelp came from behind him. It was shrill howl like noise. The Saix turned around to face a black fox like figure, with glowing red outer armor, and beaming crimson eyes, with ivory skull and cross-bone pupils. A maniacal feminine laugh was echoing around him as the Zoid multiplied into three, released a shadowy trail as it charged at him, and was struck at with an electrified claw…_

Boisterous knocking at his door stirred him from the strained slumber. Irvine sat up throwing the covers off in an annoyed fashion, revealing his little to nothing sleepwear. Just a pair of shorts that were an inch shy of his knees. He got up rubbed his head as the knocking continued.

"I heard ya! I'm up." Irvine shouted. He knew only a handful of people, and only one of them would wake him at 7:00 in the morning this way. "Hold on Van." He called back. He grabbed a drab, grey baggy shirt and slipped into it groggily. He practically sleep walked to his door, opened it up, turned around and sat down at his table. Van invited himself in, assuming Irvine was just too tired, or too rude to do so.

"Van…" Irvine began, sounding fatigued and irritated. "It's seven in the morning…It's my day off." Irvine added.

"I know man, I'm really, really, _really_ sorry but I have something important to discuss with you." Van spoke way too fast for Irvine's groggy mind.

"Ok, get going so I can go back to bed…" Irvine leaned his head against his propped up arm.

"Well, yesterday we received a call from Colonel Shubaltz. He contacted Thomas about an escort job he acquired from a couple of worried merchants. He didn't think it was a big deal and was only taking them as far as the first trade post, which was rumored to be plagued by a few thieves…" Van started. Irvine felt like this story was going to put him back to sleep sooner than expected. "But, these three thieves ambushed him and the two cargo Gustav. His Zoid took heavy damage and he is in the trade post town at this moment awaiting repairs. He contacted Thomas yesterday, requesting the Guardian Force's aide. He asked specifically for Thomas, you and I." Van finished.

"Why me?" Irvine groaned.

"Because you might be going undercover to help us with arresting the thieves." Van answered.

"What Zoids do these people pilot?" He yawned.

"One has a black and blue Zaber Fang; another has a black and gold bear fighter…" He trailed off.

"I thought there were three." Irvine responded.

"There are. We have no idea what the third one was, but Karl fed Thomas a freaky description of it." Van stated, sounding unlike his usually upbeat self.

"Well get to describing." Irvine said.

"He said it produced its own cover, like a smog or shadow of some sort. It had bright red eyes, and it seemed to come from three directions at once." Van's statement made Irvine recall he dream he just awoke from. The horrifying red, the stealthy shadow tricks, and the evasive aura; it all fit the mystery Zoid in his dream.

"You ok Irvine? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Van waved his hand in Irvine's line of sight.

"I'm fine…really. Still just trying to wake up. When are we leaving for this assignment?" He asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Van answered. Irvine nodded.

"Ok. Now let me go back to sleep and contact me later with the times and what I need to bring." He responded waving Van out the door. After shutting the door he crawled back to bed, but couldn't fall back asleep. The eerie visions of red eyes and smoky getaways haunted his mind.

Esha tightened the bracelets on her wrists, examining each other them to make sure they were on right. On her left, a leather band with a picture of her astrological sign, Virgo, printed on an ornament tied to it. On her right, one skull and cross-bone ornament was on a beaded luck chain, and another leather band with a skull and cross-bone inscribed on a metal plate tied with red ribbon. Skull and cross-bone; great symbol for a thief. She slipped the black sleeves on over her hands and arm, so that the dangling ties on the bracelets didn't get in the way. The sleeves stopped on her biceps. Her medium length raven tresses lay seductively over her neckline. She had a tiny bun on the left sit of her head, holding most of the hairs that would fall over her good eye. Her bangs concealed her right eye. Esha had a black camisole, with crimson red trim on the sides. She had on Capri length cargo pants on and black combat boots. Her Zi mark, a red semi finished check mark with a dot resting in the apex of the angle, lay under her left eye, complimenting the red streak in her bangs.

She pulled a necklace out of her right pocket. It had a large, claw shaped ornament made out of ivory stained with mahogany colored oil. It had intricate carvings engraved in it; she adjusted the thread and pulled it over her head.

The best good luck charm she has ever had was this little gift.

Esha glanced up at her Zoid from perch on a cargo box made out of wood. The Black base armor was accentuated by the blood red vent covers, cockpit cover, and claw guards. It was a Zoid the Republic had recently built, before the war had ended. This one in particular was stolen from the Republic and was to be used for infiltration as a spy. It was designed with the best, state of the art capabilities, and could adapt to other Zoids weaponry.

This is the Shadow Fox.


	3. Stroll to the Woods

Chapter Two

_Stroll to the Woods_

Van sat in his office, aiming paper balls at a map of the continent on the wall making noises that were reminiscent of explosions. Thomas walked into the open doorway with a folder to find Van goofing off in his usual childish manner. Thomas sighed and cleared his throat to catch Van's attention. Van looked over and shrugged off his behavior.

"What's up Thomas?" Van asked trying to appear profession with his hands folded on his desk.

"Did you fill out Irvine's papers?" Thomas bluntly asked.

"I'm getting to that." Van said shuffling through the various scattered papers on his desk. Van searched while Thomas looked into his folder and sighed. "I know it's gotta be here somewhere…" Van muttered. Thomas slapped the folder on Van's desk.

"Somewhere being in the break-room…" Thomas muttered back. "The sooner you get that filled out and processed for Irvine's authorization to go undercover the sooner we can go help my brother. So if not for your job's sake, Van, for my sake please get this done as soon as possible." Thomas asked trying to sound as nice as possible. Van nodded in compliance. Thomas looked at his watch, and back at Van. "Like, now would be perfect." Thomas said stoically, and walked away.

"Sheesh…Acts like he's never seen how I work before…" Van muttered picking up a pen and scribbling as quickly as he could.

Irvine waltzed into the hangar in his Lightning Saix. He exited his zoid to meet up with Thomas and Van who were waiting on the ground.

"So what's the deal? Van here vaguely explained to me a trio of thieves who have been put on our highest priority because they took out your brother." Irvine stated. "And that they have an unknown zoid…" he added.

"And that you will be going undercover." Thomas added. Irvine rolled his eyes.

"I almost forgot about that…" He said.

"Well that's really all we have." Van murmured. Thomas crossed his arms.

"Do you want a layout of what we have planned?" Thomas asked, coolly. Irvine nodded. "We plan on setting you up to go into the local pubs and ask around in search for a group of thieves looking for a hire or new recruit of some sort, hope that you find them, and join them and then eventually lead us to their hideout." Thomas explained.

"Well that sounds like it could get complicated with how definite that plan seems." Irvine said in a sarcastic tone. Thomas shrugged.

"It's the only thing we've got currently. We can tweak it more when we arrive in that town and rendezvous with my brother." Thomas said. "So are you ready to depart yet?" He asked.

"I've been ready; ask Van if he filled out my paperwork this time?" Irvine retorted. Van threw his hands into the air in a defensive manner.

"I filled it out I freakin' swear!" Van fumed.

Esha lounged on her bed in her room, fiddling with her necklace. Her organoid curled up beside her. He was a taller type of organoid, with a pitch black body with a crimson red underbelly and claws. She leaned on her organoid and it leaned back and purred in an affectionate manner.

"I'm bored as well Distortion…" Esha stated. "I have yet to hear anything about caravans traveling through this area. The battle with the Colonel has satiated me for now but I'll crave a better fight sooner or later." She said.

The radio that was sitting across the room began to crackle with static. Esha's lips turned to a grin of satisfaction. "About time…"

Irvine, Thomas and Van had departed from the headquarters somewhere around noontime, and the sun was setting in the desert and the waning moons were rising. Thomas and Irvine were getting mostly annoyed with Van's seemingly endless whining. Even Zeke was getting frustrated.

"It's so hot…"

"I'm hungry…"

"Where is this freakin' town?"

Irvine's nerves were run so thin if he heard another one of Van's complaints he might've started a zoid battle right there in the dunes.

That was until something blinked on their radars.

"What's that?" Van asked suddenly sounding interested in life. Irvine grinned.

"Boys we may have found our trio." Irvine stated. He pulled up a map of the surrounding area. He saw that were was trail leading into the mountain ranges before the town and had a decent amount of foliage and forestry surrounding it.

"You think they are hiding out in those woods?" Thomas asked.

"Who knows but its worth charging into if it is." Van answered.

"Thank you, you're so eager to blow our cover." Irvine said in response to Van's twisted enthusiasm. "I think I should split from you two if it is them, I could convince them to recruit me easier if you two aren't present. "

"Sounds good to me." Thomas replied.

"Aww, man…" Van whined.

"Its this way or we wait for fate to bring me to them at a pub." Irvine stated. "So hush, and consider us lucky."


End file.
